Please report all spam threads, posts and suspicious members. We receive spam notifications and will take immediate action!

If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Jockeying for position in the server CPU race, Intel Corp. announced on Friday (Nov. 14) that it will use multithreading and a whopping 24 Mbits of cache in the Montecito version of its Itanium processor, set to ship in systems in 2005.
The news could vault Itanium ahead of Sun Microsystems Inc.'s Ultrasparc, analysts said, but the Intel processor will still lag IBM Microelectronics' Power series.

Server CPU makers IBM, Intel and Sun are looking to pack their respective processors with multiple cores and multithreading capability, currently seen as the best techniques for bolstering systems performance.

Intel had already said the 90-nanometer Montecito would incorporate two Itanium 2 cores based on its Madison processor. “We were getting so many questions about multithreading, we thought we should put a stake in the ground for the timing,” said Lisa Graf, a marketing director for Itanium at Intel.

Kevin Krewell, senior editor of The Microprocessor Report, said that the changes will put Intel's processor ahead of Sun's. Sun will deliver a dual-core Ultrasparc IV early next year but is not expected to ship a dual-threaded CPU until the Ultrasparc V debuts in 2006.

IBM, on the other hand, announced that it would deliver its dual-core, dual-threaded Power5 processor sometime next year at a performance level well above Intel's current Madison version of the Itanium 2.

“Intel will catch up with and pass Sun in multithreading, but IBM's Power will still be ahead of Intel,” said Krewell. “Sun's UltraSparc IV and V road maps are not that aggressive,” he said. “Sun pooh-poohed Intel's chances of getting multithreading into Itanium anytime soon, and Sun's novel Niagara design is aimed at a different market sector [of server blades].”

“We have a 20 to 30 percent performance lead over Power4 today, and it's not a bad thing for us to be in a horse race with Power,” said Intel's Graf. “That's exactly the class of sys- tem at which we are aiming.”

Graf added that the 24 Mbits of cache in Montecito would help bust through the memory-access bottlenecks that the Sun and Power CPUs may face. In addition, Montecito will fit into existing Itanium systems, while Power5 will require a new system design, she said.

The move to multithreading came as a surprise for many microprocessor watchers, who thought Intel might take more time finding a way to bring multithreading to the Itanium's VLIW architecture. Intel is not expected to disclose its multithreading approach until the spring Intel Developer Forum at the earliest, Graf said.

“It will be interesting to see how they do multithreading in that architecture. Itanium has 256 registers, and that's a lot of registers to alias,” said analyst Krewell. Unlike superscalar architectures, Itanium does not have a ready-made set of extra registers for renaming, he added.

Krewell estimated the Montecito die could be as large as 460 mm2, up from about 375 mm2 for the current Madison CPU.

“It will be a freaking large die, about the limit of what they can make,” said Krewell. “I think Intel's general philosophy with Itanium is to pack as much into as big a die as they can make. They are certainly putting their manufacturing muscle behind Itanium, and multithreading will definitely help boost performance on sever apps.”

Graf said Intel does not have any performance data on Montecito that it is ready to release. Nonetheless, she said the processor will dissipate less than the 130 watts maximum Intel has set for its server CPUs.

Former Compaq Alpha CPU designers at Intel's Massachusetts design center are working on a Montecito follow- on called Tanglewood that will sport more than two cores and support an undisclosed number of threads. Graf said that Tanglewood will provide a sevenfold performance increase over the original Merced version of Itanium. Tanglewood will require a new system design, she added.

Previously Intel had said it would roll out in about 2006 a processor named Tulsa, a dual-core version of its 32-bit Xeon-class server CPU. The Xeon series already uses Intel's dual-threaded Hyperthreading technology.

At the Microprocessor Forum last month, Balaram Sinharoy, Power5 chief scientist at IBM, said his company is “well under way” with a Power6 design to be made in 65-nm technology for a 2006 launch. But he did not comment on the number of cores or threads it will support.

Both Sinharoy and Quinn Jacobson, a staff CPU architect for Sun, suggested that at the 65-nm node it is feasible to fit three or more CPU cores on a die.

Sources close to Intel Resellers Group unveiled some brief facts about Intel’s new mainboards due to come in 2004. 15 new desktop mainboards that are now being designed in Intel’s labs show off some general trends Intel plans to ignite next year: total transition to LGA775 (Socket T), dual-channel memory for all market segments as well as wide adoption of PCI Express bus.

Alderwood – New Premium Mainboards from Intel

Intel division responsible for mainboards is preparing two products based on the new high-end desktop chipset from the world’s largest chipmaker – the code-named Alderwood core-logic. The company is planning two new mainboards on its premium chipset – the code-named Culver City and the Black Canyon – both due to come in the second quarter 2004.

The new Culver City and the Black Canyon mainboards from Intel will be equipped with LGA775 socket, will boast with support for up to 4GB of DDR-II SDRAM memory at speeds of up to 533MHz (PC2-4300), will have PCI Express x16 connector for graphics cards, will be equipped with ICH6R with Serial ATA RAID support and will come with FireWire (IEEE1394) controller. The Culver City is projected to be available in ATX form-factor, the Black Canyon is designed for microATX cases.

As expected, the Alderwood will support a special Turbo Mode to work with DDR-II SDRAM memory. Similar technique called Performance Accelerating Technology (PAT) is available now on i875P MCH.

Grantsdale-P – New Mainstream Hero

The Intel Grantsdale-P family of mainboards includes 6 new mainboards and reflects Intel’s plans to seriously expand its presence in the mainboard market. Earlier this year we already told you about some of Intel's Grantsdale-P mainboards, looks like Intel added some products into the lineup. The following brief details about the new products are known so far:

The next-generation of powerful solutions with integrated graphics Intel will offer is the Grantsdale-G chipset products supporting Intel Pentium 4 processors with SSE3 technology (Prescott) with 800MHz Quad Pumped Bus, DDR-II SDRAM as well as Intel’s Extreme Graphics 3 with presumable support for certain DirectX 9.0 features. Take a look at Intel’s mainboard lineup powered by the Grantsdale-G:

Traditionally, Intel’s GV and GL chipsets are made for value-minded customers, offer less performance and less flexibility. The Grantsdale-GV will provide 533 and 800MHz QPB for Intel Pentium 4 and Celeron chips, dual-channel DDR (333, 400MHz) as well as DDR-II SDRAM (400, 533MHz) memory, Intel Extreme Graphics 3 integrated graphics core and no PCI Express x16 support for external graphics. The Grantsdale-GL is designed for even more cost-effective market – it will work with chips supporting 533MHz QPB, will incorporate dual-channel memory controller for only DDR SDRAM memory, will boast with Intel’s third-generation integrated graphics and will not offer opportunity to install powerful external graphics cards featuring PCI Express x16 connectors. The main disadvantage of the GL is that it does not support the HT technology.

There are two mainboards in development based on value chipsets – the West Branch featuring the Grantsdale-GV and Downey featuring the Grantsdale-GL. Both will offer dual-channel PC3200, LGA775 processors, Intel Extreme Graphics 3, ICH6. Both mainboards will be in microATX form-factor.

Intel's rush to regroup for 2004
Extreme's too expensive, and Prescott's past due

Usually, the CPU business offers a steady flow of interesting new product releases and endless flame wars between Intel and AMD loyalists, but not a lot of real intrigue or surprise. These days, however, PC processors are back in the limelight -- chip shipments are hot news, journalists are digging for bits of info on upcoming models, and most important of all, the desktop CPU market looks like it's anybody's game.

This shift really started with the AMD64 initiative and the traditional underdog's shipment of a full range of 64-bit processors. The Opteron, Athlon 64 FX-51, and Athlon 64 3200+ respectively run the gamut of server/workstation, enthusiast, and desktop segments, putting the onus on Intel to match AMD chip for chip.

Intel has so far been unable to comply, and although current Pentium 4 models are still very competitive, the fact that AMD has recaptured the desktop performance crown puts incredible pressure on the silicon giant. Now that 2003 is coming to a close, AMD will be working hard to maintain its advantage, while Intel looks to 2004 as its opportunity to take back the title.

The P4 Extreme Edition Debuts, Sort Of
Yes, Virginia, there is a Pentium 4 Extreme Edition, or at least and at last a formally released CPU: Trumpeted front and center on Intel's Web site, the P4EE is outlined exactly as per prerelease specifications. These include a clock speed of 3.2GHz, an 800MHz front-side bus, and -- differentiating the newcomer from the Pentium 4/3.2C that debuted in June -- the addition of a 2MB Level 3 cache to other Pentium 4 processors' 512K of L2 cache.

Mass-market availability, however, is still an open question. We've been unable to find any Extreme Edition listings at the online-storefront level, and Intel's official comments hint that only complete systems will be available at launch, not that the new hardcore gamers' engine is likely to attract potential upgraders anyway -- judging by Alienware's system prices, the Extreme Edition might command a retail price of over $1,000.

Recent gossip also has Intel extending the P4EE line into 2004, with a 3.4GHz model a distinct possibility. This may depend on the sales success of the first Extreme Edition, as well as its performance in head-to-head enthusiast comparisons. The ultra-high-end market for custom gaming systems is not one that counts its pennies, and if specialty vendors find a real niche for the Extreme Edition, expect more from Intel -- possibly even 2004 models based on the upgraded "Prescott" core. How far Intel takes this new brand name hangs on buyer demand and AMD benchmarks, so anything's possible.

At Long Last Prescott
It's pretty well official that the long-awaited, 90-nanometer-process Prescott core won't be officially released until January or February 2004, which gives AMD even more time to polish its AMD64 platforms. Intel roadmaps show the initial successor to today's Pentium 4 offering a clock speed of 3.4GHz, with versions as low as 2.8GHz available to help the market transition.

Just as with its earlier move to 0.13-micron architecture, the plan is for Intel to first get the Prescott to market, then dare AMD to keep pace as it scales Mt. Megahertz. Current Intel estimates suggest the core's top end could be 5GHz or more, with faster bus speeds (1066MHz?) likely also on tap for 2004, along with a move to dual-channel DDR-2 memory.

Interestingly, it also seems a virtual done deal that Prescott will keep the Pentium 4 name, just as the previous "Willamette" and "Northwood" cores did. To be sure, this is a highly recognizable and valuable brand for Intel, but at some point in time, it's bound to give the company and its customers a headache. For instance, let's say you've got a 2.0GHz Pentium 4 Willamette desktop and are eager for an upgrade, but your budget stops at the 2.8GHz Prescott.

On paper, it looks as if you're merely trading a 2.0GHz for a 2.8GHz Pentium 4, or only 800MHz more speed, but that comparison doesn't take into account the doubling of Level 1 cache (from 8K to 16K) and front-side bus (from 400MHz to 800MHz), the quadrupling of L2 cache (from 256K to 1MB), or platform improvements like dual-channel memory and Hyper-Threading. You've got to ask yourself, what'll it take for Intel to finally call a chip the Pentium 5?

Playing the HT Card ... and Maybe the 64-Bit Card?
Speaking of Hyper-Threading, if you've got it, flaunt it. Those are words Intel should take to heart, considering that this compelling feature gets lots of attention but simply hasn't been marketed enough -- or shown up in any real volume in terms of application support.

Hyper-Threading gives Intel a real advantage over AMD in the area of multithreading or smoother multitasking, so why not create a nifty HT logo (that Pentium 4 flag with the miniscule H and T ribbons doesn't cut it), sign up some high-profile application and even higher-profile game support, and fire back at the AMD64-logo crowd? Windows XP does offer basic Hyper-Threading support and a bit of a performance increase even with non-HT applications, but slapping the HT label on the next Doom or Unreal game box is really the way to get attention.

Stepping further into the fog, the AMD64 offensive seems to have changed some minds at Intel, and everyone from geek-site writers to Lehman Brothers stock analysts is now saying that the Prescott core will incorporate some form of 64-bit functionality. It would be quite a leap to expect a fully 64-bit architecture, but with the new CPU experiencing significant delays, who knows?

Realistically, it's more likely that Prescott will include not only the next-generation SSE3 multimedia instructions but the long-rumored, long-denied "Yamhill" 64-bit extensions to x86 architecture (not to be confused with the official Intel 64-bit architecture of the Itanium family). The question then would be whether Yamhill is partly or wholly incompatible with the AMD64 extensions, and whether different 32- and 64-bit versions of Microsoft Windows will take up a whole shelf at Best Buy.

Finally, while Intel may be firing up for a serious 2004 offensive, AMD isn't exactly sitting on its hands. Faster Athlon 64 and Athlon 64 FX chips are on the way, new platforms are in the works, and even Hyper-Threading and SSE3 are at least potentially on the table for upcoming AMD introductions. Intel is almost certain to keep the overall market lead, but the company needs to maximize its existing advantages and fast-track new models in order to maintain its dominance through 2004. Otherwise, AMD's trickling stream could become a torrent in the next 12 months.

The chipmaker, which discussed its plans in a wide-ranging meeting with financial analysts on Thursday, said it aims to boost the performance of a broad range of its products next year, including cranking up its desktop PC processors. "Our goal is to hit 4GHz in 2004," Intel President Paul Otellini said during a meeting that was Webcast. Intel is aiming to reach that clock speed with Prescott, an upcoming processor for desktop computers that will be built using a 90-nanometer manufacturing process. (A nanometer is a billionth of a meter.) Prescott is scheduled to ship this quarter to PC makers, Otellini said. But it's not expected to come in desktop PCs until early next year. Right now, Intel's fastest chip is the 3.2GHz Pentium 4.

While a 4GHz processor may seem fast, as least one analyst said the jump isn't a particularly large one for a brand-new processor. "I would be really surprised if Intel didn't hit 4GHz in 2004. But don't dismiss the possibility it could blow that mark," Mercury Research analyst Dean McCarron said. Opinions on the importance of raw processor clock speed differ. Where Intel has always emphasized the speed of its high-end desktop processors--saying the Pentium 4's extra speed helps boost the performance of multimedia applications--other chipmakers, like rival Advanced Micro Devices, maintain that overall performance, measured by the work a chip can accomplish per clock cycle, is more important. The Athlon FX-51 chip is currently AMD's fastest chip, at 2.2GHz.

Here are some specifications that were sent to us this morning that fall outside of our NDAs so we wanted to share them with you. Below is an outline of specifications that will surely mirror many boards during the next two quarters. A new socket for Pentium4, DDRII, and PCI Express are things to get excited about for sure. All of this in an ATX form factor to boot. It seems that BTX is not going to come up on us as quickly as we had originally thought.

Looking to beat its rivals to the punch, Intel is currently ramping up its new 90-nm process technology, with product shipments due by year's end. Intel, which claims its own process is on schedule, initially plans to ship a 90-nm version of its Pentium 4 microprocessor, code-named Prescott. This 32-bit processor is expected to be one of the fastest ramping products in the company's history.

"The 90-nm technology is up and running," Fravel said. "We have parts coming out of the fab right now. We're going to have revenue shipments this quarter," he said in an interview with Silicon Strategies. Intel has big plans with Prescott, which is aimed for both the consumer and business markets, he said. "We are going to ship extraordinary large quantities of the part next year," he said. "Thermal is an engineering challenge," Fravel said in the addressing the reports. "We are pretty confident that we have a solution to address the thermal issues."

A note from analyst Rick Whittington at AmTech to his clients said Intel will "soon unveil" a 64-bit X86 processor. But, claimed Whittington, it will take Intel nearly a year to build support in the way of motherboards, chipsets and graphics accelerators for such a device. That, he claimed, will leave 2004 "wide open" for AMD.

But, reckons Whittington, such a move by Intel would freeze AMD's momentum as customers wait and see how the chip giant deals with such an announcement. Additionally, said Whittington, even though Intel's "cache laden" Extreme Edition version of the P4 may well be migrated to 90 nanometers, such chips have a 3X die size compared to an ordinary Pentium 4 and 2X to a 130 nano Athlon 64. The Itanium, claims AmTech, is in for a "rough ride" but Intel now says it will "go with the market" on 64-bit X86. So such a chip could be delivered in volume in 2005.

That move would ghettoise the Itanium to low volume high end computing solutions. Whittington says Intel's statement that it will "deliver whatever processing solutions the customer requires" has to be taken in context with the hundreds of millions it's spent on the Itanium.

The Intel Corporation may accelerate the transition to land grid array processor packaging and launch the new platforms supporting DDR-II and PCI Express as early as in the very late first quarter, web-site X86-secret.com revealed today.

According to the report, Intel may formally launch its Grantsdale-P, Grantsdale-G and Alderwood chipsets on the 29th of March 2004 – in the very later first quarter. The information was not confirmed by our sources directly, but they mentioned that the 28th of March is the first day when the new chipsets are listed in Intel’s official core-logic pricelist at $38, $42 and $50 price-points respectively. This may mean that the company will begin the shipments of its Grantsdale-P, Grantsdale-G and Alderwood products in late March and will immediately announce the availability of the chipsets.

It is not absolutely clear when the new mainboards powered by the new chipsets will actually emerge on the market.

LGA775 aka Socket T will not be an ordinary CPU socket, but will utilise new land grid array (LGA) connector type which permits direct electrical connection between a module substrate and a mainboard. It is bit complex type of socketing, but it allows making CPUs with higher density of pins keeping the costs of such devices at levels suitable for mainstream computing. Additionally, LGA775 is better suitable for processors with higher power consumption and core-clock. According to Intel, Pentium 4 SSE3 processors with speeds from 3.80GHz and above will be LGA only. Initial code-named Prescott chips will debut in Socket 478.

The first LGA775 processors are expected to debut in Q2 2003. However, in case the report from X86-secret.com is correct, we may see actual chips in the new form-factor already in late March 2004.

The Pentium 4 with SSE3 technology LGA775 CPUs made using 90nm fabrication process will be clocked at 2.80 GHz, 3.00GHz, 3.20GHz, 3.40GHz and 3.60GHz, will sport 800MHz PSB, incorporate 1MB cache and will be priced at Intel’s general mainstream and high-end pricing. Moreover, in order to further popularize the LGA775 form-factor, Intel adds 3.80GHz chip with 800MHz Quad Pumped Bus in the high end and 2.80GHz CPU with 533MHz QPB in the mainstream sections sometime in Q3. The latter CPU will probably become an interesting option for mainstream computers at $800-$999. Sources close to the chipmaker also believe there will be a plethora of Celeron microprocessors for Socket T.

Intel is planning to do to digital television what it has already done to computing.

Intel, the world's largest chipmaker, plans next month to disclose the development of a class of advanced semiconductors that technologists and analysts say they believe will have a significant impact on the cost of large-format digital televisions, according to industry executives close to the company. The announcement is expected at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, which opens on Jan. 8.

The chipmaker's prodigious manufacturing capability and its ability to integrate display, television receiver and computer electronics all on a single piece of silicon are likely to open up new markets for a class of products that have generally sold for between $3,000 and $10,000 until now.

It could open opportunities to cut prices sharply over the next few years even as the technology continues to improve at a pace that resembles the relentless doubling every 18 months of what computer chips are capable of accomplishing - known as Moore's law for the Intel co-founder who first propounded it. "I think this brings Moore's law to digital television," said Richard Doherty, a consumer electronics industry analyst who is president of Envisioneering, a Seaford, New York, consulting firm.

Intel's decision to enter the television market would be another indicator of the accelerating computer industry assault on the consumer electronics industry. Both Gateway and Dell are already selling large-format digital televisions and Hewlett-Packard has indicated it will also enter the market.

The Intel disclosure, which is expected to made by Paul Otellini, the company's president and chief operating officer, will come at a time when the market for high-definition television is just beginning to take off in parts of the world.

A spokesman for Intel said the company would not comment on Otellini's presentation.